1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc cartridge case that accommodates therein a disc cartridge in which a disc as a recording medium is accommodated when the disc cartridge is not in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When an optical disc accommodated in a disc accommodating case is a CD (compact disc), for example, a conventional disc accommodating case for accommodating therein an optical disc as a recording medium is constructed as follows. That is, an engagement projection that is in resilient engagement with a central aperture of a CD is provided at the central portion of a case body. A concave portion into which the CD is fitted is formed on the case body so as to surround the engagement projection, and a lid made of a transparent synthetic resin is provided on the case body so as to become freely rotatable (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,874,085 and 4,535,888, etc.).
When the optical disc is accommodated in the disc cartridge, an opening portion through which the central aperture of the disc is exposed is generally closed by a shutter in order to protect the optical disc, i.e., in order to prevent dust from entering the disc cartridge and to prevent the disc from being directly smudged by fingers or the like. For this reason, according to the conventional disc cartridge case, the optical disc cannot be held at the central aperture thereof unlike the aforesaid disc accommodating case.
FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show a proposed case that accommodates therein a disc cartridge.
A case depicted by reference numeral 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a case body 4 formed of a cartridge hold frame 2 and a bottom plate 3 and a transparent cover 5. In this case 1, the cartridge hold frame 2 of the case body 4 has on its central portion an accommodating concave portion 2a of rectangular configuration that is matched with the outer configuration of a disc cartridge C to be accommodated. Recesses 2b, 2c are integrally communicated with the accommodating concave portion 2a so that the user can withdraw the disc cartridge C accommodated within the accommodating concave portion 2a through the recesses 2b, 2c with fingers. Projections 2f, 2g, which serve as hinges for coupling the transparent cover 5 to the case body 4, are respectively formed on the rear end inner surfaces of the two side wall portions 2d, 2e. The bottom plate 3 is made of a transparent synthetic resin and comprised of a bottom wall portion 3a corresponding to the lower surface of the support frame 2 and a front wall portion 3b corresponding to the front wall portion of the hold frame 2 in an L-letter configuration in cross section so that the user can visually confirm an index sheet disposed between the lower surface of the hold frame 2 and the bottom wall portion 3a from the outside.
The transparent cover 5 is made of a transparent synthetic resin and comprised of a flat surface portion 5a corresponding to the upper surface of the hold frame 2 and two side wall portions 5b, 5c corresponding to inside surfaces of the two side wall portions 2d, 2e of the hold frame 2 in a substantially U-letter configuration in cross section. A plurality of tabs 5d, 5e, which are projected inwardly, are provided on the two side wall portions 5b, 5c, thereby holding a song text card, an index card or the like inserted from the front edge of the flat surface portion 5a.
The transparent cover 5 is rotatably coupled to the hold frame 2, i.e., the case body 4 by fitting the recesses 5f, 5g formed on the rear end outer surfaces of tee two side wall portions 5b, 5c into projections 2f, 2g, thus to construct the accommodating case 1. The recesses 5f, 5g and the projections 2f, 2g may be replaced with projections formed on the transparent cover 5 and recesses formed through the hold frame 2.
If the disc cartridge C is a little larger than the accommodating concave portion 2a of the cartridge hold frame 2, then the disc cartridge C cannot be accommodated in the disc cartridge case 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Even if the disc cartridge C is somehow accommodated, it cannot be withdrawn from the disc cartridge case 1. Further, when the disc cartridge C is accommodated in and taken out from the disc cartridge case 1, there is then the risk that the disc cartridge C itself will be deformed or damaged by a undesirable load applied thereto.
Because the disc cartridge C itself is thin, the depth of the accommodating concave portion 2a and those of the recess portions 2b, 2c of the cartridge hold frame 2 are also reduce Consequently, if the outer dimension of the disc cartridge C is a little larger than the size of the accommodating concave portion 2a as described before, then the user cannot as a practical matter, hold and take out the disc cartridge C from the disc cartridge case 1 with two fingers. Moreover, the strength with which the user can hold the disc cartridge C with fingers through the recesses 2b, 2c, i.e., the power of fingers is reduced so that the user cannot withdraw the disc cartridge C from the disc cartridge case 1. In addition, those who have large fingers cannot withdraw the disc cartridge C from the disc cartridge case 1 at all. Conversely, if the accommodating concave portion 2a is larger than the disc cartridge C, then the disc cartridge C cannot be stably accommodated in the disc cartridge case 1, such as when the disc cartridge C is loose in the accommodating concave portion 2a and dropped therefrom.